A new Leadership Training Library site has been released on LDS.org. The Leadership Training Library is a collection of training videos that accompany Handbook 2. You can access the Leadership Training Library on LDS.org by going to Menu > Service > Leadership Training Library.

The Leadership Training Library is now available on LDS.org by going to Menu > Service > Leadership Training Library.

Ray D. Robinson, a director in the Priesthood Department, says the intended use of the site is two-fold. First, it is meant for self-teaching. For this reason, there are “learning helps” at the beginning and end of the videos. Learning helps typically include questions posed by the video narrator. For example, the questions may encourage viewers to do the following:

Reflect on inspiration the viewer received during the video

Develop specific goals in the viewer's callings

Discuss leadership qualities seen in the videos

The second use of the site is for leaders to train other leaders. The videos are downloadable with or without the learning helps in case leaders intend to guide a discussion themselves. The download feature also allows videos to be shared in meetinghouses that lack Internet capabilities.

You can download a video by clicking the Download button on the light gray toolbar at the bottom of the page. In the pop-up window that appears, right-click the video links and select Save Links As or Save Target As.

Unique Design

One of the most striking features of the Leadership Training Library is the design of the site itself. A brown and yellow color palette replaces the traditional blue backdrop of LDS.org. A black video thumbnail dominates the page, and pictures of Christ highlight the five leadership principles listed down the right side of the page.

Kaleb Tracy and Kedrick Ridges, web designers on the project, said that the Brethren had already made a few decisions about the look and feel of the website before its design began. First, the Brethren wanted the site to replicate the experience of being in a library. Second, the site is meant to be a unique study experience with a special focus on the leadership principles.

Kaleb and Kedrick took this guidance and created the color, texture, and feel of the site to promote a serene and personal learning experience. The result is that the personal, unique tranquility of the site, as encouraged by the library-like atmosphere, helps visitors to focus on learning by the Spirit.

In the design process, Kaleb and Kedrick also decided that it was important to have a picture of Christ on every page. They felt this would remind visitors that the leadership principles being discussed are truly principles set forth by the Savior. The images they selected come from the paintings of Carl Bloch. Kaleb and Kedrick said that the images resonate with the leadership principles they illustrate. The quantity of Bloch’s paintings also presented a cohesive family of artwork for the site.

Filming and Video Style

The style of the videos on the site is also distinctive. They are not typical training videos. Rather, they are a hybrid of a training video and a documentary with the personal touch of a Mormon Message.

Ross Boothe, who directed several videos for the site, says that the videos are meant to inspire as well as to instruct. Their purpose is to share the principles and concepts found in Handbook 2, as well as to motivate viewers and to help them “feel what it’s like to be a leader.”

Ross says that there are no actors in the films. They are all real Church members with real callings who are following the principles of the handbook. This gives the videos a personal touch and the distinctive feel that comes with real-life testimonies.

Future Developments

The site is currently being translated into 10 languages and should be finished by the end of this year. It is also updated monthly with new training videos.

Brother Robinson says the leaders of the Church have seen the need for additional leadership training resources for a long time. This site will be an ongoing answer to that need.

Comments

I downloaded the files using the iPhone/iPad link and am able to view the videos on my mac in iTunes. They will not however sync to my iPad as the resolution/bit rate is too high. Suggestions? Is my first generation iPad the problem?

Will there be links within the online Book 2 handbook that point to the applicable clips in the LTL?Or, perhaps, an index of LTL clips sorted by Book 2 chapters?The current design appears to indicate that training begin with the LTL, referring to parts of the Handbook.

Most of the vids download fine to my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. However, if they are not the right format I used a couple of convertion programs you can find free on the Internet. The one I use the most is MPEG Streamclip, which easily converts You Tube vids onto my laptop. Then I drag and drop them onto my PlayBook. Do a search with your questions on You Tube and you will find tutorials. Hope that helps.

I have downloaded several of the leadership training library videos to my ipad 3 and iphone 4. None of them will play. The play button has a circle with a line through it. Videos from Mormon Messages or Seminary/Institute videos play just fine. What is wrong with the leadership training manual videos and how do I fix it?